Why Public Invention Matters to the Future
Invent things that help humanity
We challenge the notion that inventions should be reserved for patents and profits. Rather, we invite fellow builders of the future to use their skills for a humanitarian purpose. We want to make the future better for everyone. To do this we remove, rather than add, legal barriers to the free use of our inventions. All work done with Public Invention is free and open to all under share-alike public licenses.
Project Dashboard
Check out our dashboard for project updates and accomplishments:
| Active Projects | Inventors | milliFullers | June 2026 | July 2026 | Aug 2026 | Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDT | Victoria, Christina, Vincent, Deneille, Surya, Jara, Alison, and Hieu | 25 | Completing API and email notifications | API v2 almost ready, email notifications | Offline emergency mode, DQM beginning | Security, API v2 |
| LibRecorder | Avinash, Megan, Roy, Rob, and Nipul | 5 | Recruiting new members | Begun skin cancer classifier | Intergrate classifer into work bench, resubmit paper | Building Dermatological Classifiers |
| NASA Oxygen | Lee and Avinash | 20 | Working on amplification | Ordered 1000 wattt amps, tested autotuner | Testing ability to raise temperature | Final test of RF amplifiction |
| Krake | Nagham, Lee, Courtney, Yehia, Juhandre, and Yukti | 20 | Reconsidering demand to increase impact | Work on Krake paper | Consider commercialization, improve manuals | Work on HardwareX paper |
| EcoPot | Cledden, Ivan, Gianluca, Jahnavi, and Marie | 20 | Working on paper | CFD of "wavy pot" | Testing on real fire | Draft paper in full |
| Biochar Toilet | Hardhik, Peter, and Lawrence | 10 | Increase size of chamber | Further assembly | Tulsa maker Faire | TBD |
| Moonrat | Melanie | 10 | Paper revision submitted, waiting | Ordered comparison incubator | Complete HardwareX paper | Finish TOST test |
| ADaM | Saicharan and Muhammad | 20 | Considering how to improve | Code modularity improvements | Begin paper and documentation | SoftwareX paper |
| Ferrofluid Pump | Asmi, Anson, and Asim | 15 | Trying to improve performance | Redesign of diodic valve | Performance improvements | Trying new design |
| Number Spectra | Umit | 15 | Trying to make more interesting | AWS public launch | AWS public launch and user testing | Public launch of AWS |
| Partially Active Projects | Inventors | milliFullers | Jan 2026 | Feb 2026 | Mar 2026 | Apr 2026 | May 2026 | June 2026 | July 2026 | Aug 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferrofluid Checkvalve | Joe, Rob | 10 | No changes | Stalled | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| KidsOR Oxygen | Lee, Lawrence, Courtney | 15 | Waiting on equipment | No changes | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Inventor Gatherings (opens in new tab)
Check out our free, monthly Inventor Gatherings: virtual events held every third Thursday at 8:00 PM (CDT), where STEM professionals, students, and innovators connect to share ideas, spark collaboration, and support open innovation. These inclusive sessions feature engaging discussions, special guests, and opportunities to grow your network.
Volunteer with Public Invention
Public Invention forms invention teams around humanitarian invention projects. We also need Invention Coaches above all else to mentor and guide a project from start to finish. However, we also need artists, writers, social media experts, and more. All will find a place here and all kinds of tech backgrounds can be utilized: biology, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, math, etc.
Different backgrounds with these interest are more than welcome to join our team!
Donate
Your donation directly supports essential activities, including travel to research conferences, journal submission fees, materials for project teams, and the technology needed to bring new inventions to life.
We invite you to contribute to our work and help drive innovation forward.
Public Invention became registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit since November 2019.
Recent Projects
Check out some of our recent public invention projects listed below.
Not sure where to start? Chat with our Project Chatbot to explore active inventions based on your interests and skillset.
PolyVent(opens in new tab)
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the fragility of our global supply chains. The PolyVent started out as an attempt, along with 100 other teams, to make an open source emergency ventilator. It has now become the world’s most open and extensible ventilator.
GOSQAS(opens in new tab)
The Global Open Source Quality Assurance System (GOSQAS) provides the opportunity to create truthful, transparent documentation via our open source provenance tracker, Global Distributed Tracking (GDT). Designed specifically for low-resource settings, GDT allows anyone with simple website access to securely record their project data.
Fetal Health Risk Detection using Machine Learning(opens in new tab)
Equipping healthcare professionals and expectant mothers with timely and actionable insights, this solution aims to transform neonatal care, saving lives and fostering healthier beginnings.
Project #51: Moonrat: A portable Incubator
Current Public Inventors:
Melanie Laporte, Silvia Castillas, Harshit Kumar, Enrique Ruiz, Horacio Garcia, F. Lee Erickson, Robert L. Read of Public Invention
Past Inventors: Sam Dauenbaugh, Jerry Chang, Shreya Bhatia
NASA-MCOG(opens in new tab)
The NASA-MCOG project develops an open-source control system to enhance NASA’s Ceramic Oxygen Generation technology, aimed at improving life support for space missions. The project focuses on precise parameter control, with potential applications for global health and oxygen generation in harsh environments.
Check out how the efforts of this project are helping other organizations, like KidsOR, to bring oxygen generating sources to low income countries to save lives: https://www.kidsor.org/news/nasa-kidsor/
